I’ve teamed up with Consumer Reports and am proud to be one of their paid brand ambassadors; my personal opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Consumer Reports.
Two years ago, my husband and I started getting our yearly physicals with our primary care physician, and we were shocked to find out the results of our blood tests were not so good. The doctor told both of us to lose weight and to come back in a few months. He said if our blood test results did not improve, that he may consider putting us on medication.
Wait…WHAT?
Medication…say no more.
We both decided that we did not want to start taking pills. We have so many people in our families taking pills for high blood pressure or high cholesterol or they’re on “heart” medication.
And we did not want “taking pills” to be part of our reality too.
Did you know that heart disease starts quietly, and can go from high blood pressure to clogged arteries to a full-blown heart attack? Yes, a full-blown heart attack. This was nothing to play with and Lamar and I had to get our acts together… fast.
Consumer Reports, is a non-profit organization that provides consumers with trusted information, provides resources for us to understand the stages of heart disease.
Protecting Our Hearts
Oddly enough, the same actions that we take to protect our marriage are the exact same actions that we are now taking to protect our hearts.
Step 1: Get Educated
Like most people, we didn’t come into our marriage already knowing how to have a healthy relationship. We had to get educated through books, conferences and marriage resources…basically whatever we could get our hands on.
And we did the same thing for our bodies.
Do you know your medical health history? Do you even know your important health numbers ( i.e. your blood pressure, blood cholesterol and body weight)? Do you know what type of diet you should follow to keep your heart healthy?
We didn’t. So after talking to our doctors, we did our research.
READ: The Healing Power of a Heart-Healthy Diet
Step 2: Seek Wise Counsel
There’s nothing wrong with seeking the help of counselors, mentors or trusted family members as you work to improve the health of your marriage. We did it. You just have to make sure you are getting the right advice for your marriage, because not all of your friends and family will give you the best advice.
The same goes for your body. A lot of people will give you advice about what to do and what to eat. But you should make sure that you are getting the right advice for your body.
However, there is so much information out there surrounding heart health and the prevention of heart attacks that it’s hard to know where to start. One resource that I wish I had when we started our health journey (but I’m glad we have now) is the Heart Health Report by Consumer Reports (CR.) (Consumer Reports aims to provide consumers with evidence-based information for all the critical moments along the way, to help you cut through the noise of conflicting studies and swirling, often contradictory advice.)
CR’s information will help you make the best possible choices about your health and well-being and will help you answer questions like: What’s the best diet for a healthy heart? Or, What’s the best hospital if I required heart surgery?
Step 2: Do the Work.
Healthy marriages don’t just happen by chance, they are the result of intentional work. And the same can be said for your body too.
Sure, there are some marriages that just work and there are some people that are just perfect physical specimens. But most of us are not that lucky, and we have to actually do something in order to achieve the results that we desire for our marriages or for our hearts.
And that is exactly what Lamar and I did.
We did at least 25 minutes of exercise 3-to-4 times a week.
We almost eliminated meat from our diets… we are not 100% Vegetarian…but we are close to it. And we eat more fruits and vegetables.
We lost some serious weight doing those things.
And when we went back to our doctor, our health numbers were good and our doctor could not get over our transformation.
10 Years Strong
My husband Lamar and I have been running this website for 10 years now (and we’ve been married for 12 years.) For 10 years, we’ve been sharing articles and resources on how to have healthy relationships and marriages. And while we were busy telling you how to have a love that lasts a lifetime, we were not exactly doing the things that would ensure that we would be around for a lifetime to enjoy that love.
And, what’s the point in having a long-lasting marriage if you’re not around to enjoy it.
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BMWK – what actions are you taking ensure that you will be around to enjoy your marriage for years to come?
I’ve teamed up with Consumer Reports and am proud to be one of their paid brand ambassadors; my personal opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Consumer Reports.